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Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary

Ginseng has been an important part of Appalachian culture from Native American times to the present. Daniel Boone depended on income from ginseng sales, and today many men and women in Appalachia scour the woods for the herb. This practice, while part of our heritage, is one of several threats to the long term health of the Appalachian ginseng population. Damage to native wild populations has long been recognized and studied. Ginseng was added to Appendix II of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) in 1975, due to concern for the species’ being over-harvested as a consequence of international trade. In addition to research in the literature (such as James B. McGraw, et al, “Ecology and Conservation of Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) in a Changing World,” and other scholarly studies of ginseng’s precarious position in the wild) I have extensive personal experience with ginseng, and I have interviewed many long-time ginseng foragers who have shared their experiences with the plant and their concern for its future. A recent popular television series has exacerbated one of the main threats, poaching, to ginseng populations. My presentation briefly covers the history of Appalachian ginseng and presents a comprehensive overview of the threats to the plants’ survival in the wild and surveys several areas of concern in preserving the ginseng population: harvest rates, deer browse effects, consumption by turkeys and other herbivores, plant competition, timber harvests and development, and climate change.

At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1

Dr. Michael Joslin is program coordinator of English and serves as the director of the Stephenson Center for Appalachia at Lees-McRae College. He has published six books on Appalachia: Mountain People, Places and Ways; More Mountain People, Places, and Ways; Appalachian Bounty; Our Living Heritage, Highland Handcrafters, and Mountain Spring. Living with his wife, Pam, in Buladean, North Carolina, Dr. Joslin works his draft horses, hikes the woods, gardens, and enjoys mountain life.

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Ginseng has been an important part of Appalachian culture from Native American times to the present. Daniel Boone depended on income from ginseng sales, and today many men and women in Appalachia scour the woods for the herb. This practice, while part of our heritage, is one of several threats to the long term health of the Appalachian ginseng population. Damage to native wild populations has long been recognized and studied. Ginseng was added to Appendix II of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) in 1975, due to concern for the species’ being over-harvested as a consequence of international trade. In addition to research in the literature (such as James B. McGraw, et al, “Ecology and Conservation of Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) in a Changing World,” and other scholarly studies of ginseng’s precarious position in the wild) I have extensive personal experience with ginseng, and I have interviewed many long-time ginseng foragers who have shared their experiences with the plant and their concern for its future. A recent popular television series has exacerbated one of the main threats, poaching, to ginseng populations. My presentation briefly covers the history of Appalachian ginseng and presents a comprehensive overview of the threats to the plants’ survival in the wild and surveys several areas of concern in preserving the ginseng population: harvest rates, deer browse effects, consumption by turkeys and other herbivores, plant competition, timber harvests and development, and climate change.